Quick Shots: High school sports are for everybody, not just the wealthy

Matt Trowbridge Staff writer @matttrowbridge

Saturday

Aug 31, 2019 at 6:00 PM

Last year was the first time in 30 years that high school sports participation declined. Derek Thompson of the Atlantic saw that and wrote high school sports are "being hijacked by the wealthy" and said they show how "income inequality and opportunity-hoarding by the rich can combine in toxic ways to hurt the less fortunate."

No, they don't. He reaches that conclusion because kids whose parents earn at least $100,000 are twice as likely to play high school sports as those whose parents earn less than $25,000. Studies show richer and more educated people, especially women, are also more likely to use the library. Poorer people also use community parks less often. You can't make people do what they don't want to do, whether that is flossing, reading or excercising. Look at Rockford: we have more municipal golf courses per capita than almost anywhere and an abundance of girls youth programs, but few women golfers.

Reliever overload

For the first time since 1973, starters have a lower ERA than relievers. Relievers have also pitched a record 41.1 percent of all innings, with a record 492 different relievers having pitched with more than a month remaining in the season, fivethirtyeight reports. The average starting pitcher makes $5.2 million, almost 20 percent more than the average major leaguer at $4.38 million. So here's a radical idea: Let him pitch. Only 10 pitchers threw even 200 innings last year. Three years ago, six pitchers threw at least 223 innings. No one has thrown that many since. Justin Verlander, at age 36, leads the majors with 184 innings this year.

Eight of the top 10 pitchers who have thrown 170 innings this year have been in the majors for at least six years. Verlander, Trevor Bauer, Mike Minor, Zack Greinke, Stephen Strasburg, Lance Lynn, Gerrit Cole and Madison Bumgarner have averaged 9.5 seasons in the big leagues. If the old guys can handle the workload, younger pitchers should be able to also.

Preseason waste

Complaints about the NFL preseason have never been so loud. Or so deserving. Fivethirtyeight reports that as recently as seven years ago, 13 starting quarterbacks threw the most preseason passes on their team. This year none did. And 22 threw the fewest. Projected Game 1 starters threw only 11.7 percent of all preseason passes, a 43-percent drop from just last year. The preseason used to mean little. Now it means absolutely nothing. Drop it!